


Pentamerous

by Soulberries



Category: Homestuck
Genre: AND THEY WERE CELLMATES, Alternate Universe - Prison, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon-Typical Violence, In a way, Internalized Homophobia, Juvie, M/M, Sarcasm, Tags to be added, Trans Rose Lalonde, also I didn't want an all male lineup, author is trans so theres your explanation, bamf eridan, child prison is bad, i did research i really hope this isnt like grossly off base, lol, who would've guessed!!!, zebruh is only there for like two seconds i promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-08-09 01:25:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16440428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soulberries/pseuds/Soulberries
Summary: Next, the timer. The first number to fade in was a five, and he grinned in anticipation. A fifty-something was good. He waited to see what the second number was.And waited.And waited.





	1. Chapter 1

He squinted, trying to make out the faint mark inking itself into his dark, freckled skin. He was thirteen, the age when everyone got their soulmate's timer and name. 

  He'd always been a bit of a romantic- he was a sucker for romance novels, from cheesy to tragic. But the prospect of finally getting the name of the girl meant for him sent a shiver of anxiety through him.

  The name was legible first. It was unorthodox, but he wasn't one to judge. 'Karkat' had a nice ring to it, anyway. Maybe she thought the same of his name. He hoped it didn't sound dumb.

   Next, the timer. The first number to fade in was a five, and he grinned in anticipation. A fifty-something was good. He waited to see what the second number was.

  And waited.

  And waited.

His smile slowly faded as minutes slipped by and nothing changed aside from the ink darkening in finality.

  This wasn't supposed to happen. Sure, there were sob-stories of short timers, but those were for other people. Not for him. His soulmate was supposed to live a healthy life with him like his parents always said she would. But they were wrong.

  They had five years. Probably less.

  /

  He pushed up his glasses and tried to focus on the algebra exam on his desk, but it didn't make sense to him. Numbers never did. He excelled in his other classes, which was even more infuriating. His eyes kept wandering around, and and paused on his hand. Four. He felt something bubble in his chest but forced it back down. The exam. Focus.

  "You're loothin kinda pale ED, you forget how to divide again?" Sollux sneered as they gathered their bags. The bell had barely rung and already Eridan was pulling his backpack up to shove away his things.

  "I'm not in the mood for it, scum." Eridan gritted his teeth, "Go bother someone who actually cares about what you have to say." He slung his blue book bag over one shoulder and tried to leave the pesk behind.

   He didn't get the hint. The scrawny, miserable excuse for a boy didn't even give him a second to breathe.

"Of courthe you care. I've known you too long for you to pull that thit on me. You care thooo much about everything that happens to you. Don't even try to dethy it. The number of thimes I've theen you pithying youthelf for that fuckin thoulmark is higher than you can count." 

   Eridan felt something new bubble up in his throat like bile. It wasn't annoyance. It was anger like lava starting to work it's way through the marrow in his bones. 

    "I don't have to listen to this," He hissed in a low voice.

"Whath you gonna do, punch me? The thittle shthrimp boy? You think that'll help your reputhation? Feferi'll looove that, huh?" Sollux snickered.

    Eridan swung his fist around so fast he hadn't realized he'd done it until Sollux staggered backwards wiping blood from a broken nose. It was like he wasn't himself, like it was a different person taking the wheel in his own body.

    "Wow," Sollux laughed, a nasally sound, as blood dripped from his face, "You've really done it now, ED."

    Sollux crumpled like a ragdoll on the second punch, and Eridan fell to the floor with him on the third. 

    "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He was screaming, but it was like everything was too fast and slow at the same time. Like the video and audio of a recording were lagged and distorted like everything, even his vision, came through a cloud of broiling, white hot rage. He lost track of how many times his fist smashed into Sollux's bloody face, but he couldn't stop.

     He felt arms loop under his and haul him backwards. His shoes slipped on the tile floor and he slid down, thrashing to try and shake them off of him.

    "Eridan, how could you?" A girl's croaked voice cut through his rage, and he managed the restraint to look up at his captor. He went rigid, feeling the broiling anger in him dissolve into fear.

     "I- Fef, it ain't what it looks like!" He squirmed in her grip, but he couldn't get traction on the floor. It was wet and slick and red, like someone just dropped a jug of kool-aid on the floor and jumped ship.

   Sollux was fucked up pretty good, and he wasn't sure if he was proud of that or not. One of his eyes was already swelling shut, his glasses were shattered, and his nose was flattened into a bloody mess. A girl he recognized as Aradia was crouched beside him with a concerned look.  
   "I don't-" Feferi's voice cracked, "I don't want to glubbing hear it, Eridan. I thought you were better than this."

   Tears streamed down her face and his heart did a painful twist before he was yanked up by the collar by a police officer. He twisted his arms painfully  behind his back.

   "You're in big fuckin' trouble, kiddo."  
/

The Captors pressed charges.

  He should've kept his temper. The judge wasn't going to let him off with a fine after something like that. Redglare convinced the judge to shorten the time he would have to do to six months since he was so young, and she was already working with his father to come up with a way to have his record expunged.

But that still left him with the issue of his six months. To a fourteen year old, that was a terrifying amount of time to spend anywhere, much less what was essentially just child-prison. 

An officer grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and pulled him along with him deeper into the building. He bit back his complaints for once in his life and stumbled numbly after him. Any indignation he felt was drowned out by fear. 

Inside, the walls were all grey and lifeless brick that stretched down into dusty halls that smelled like a mixture of a locker room and an infirmary. He didn't like it. He hated it, actually. He hated everything about this place.

The officer shoved him into another room where another seemed prepared and, honestly, lifeless. He choked on his discomfort at the way he scanned him over in the bored and resigned way an accountant might eye paperwork. 

"We're gonna have t' pat ya down, kid. 'll be fine so long as you ain't got any weapons."

Without any further warning, the two officers patted him down like some sort of criminal. He supposed he was technically under such a label, but damn it, this was the kind of thing that was supposed to happen in bad prison break movies. Not to him.

His disgust was palpable. 

When he was cleared, one of them held out a hand before he was lead into the next room.

"Scarf's gotta go. Glasses too." 

Eridan gave him a look of disbelief, "I need my glasses. I'm near sighted."

"If it turns into an issue the doc'll get you contacts. Glass is strictly prohibited." The officer swipes his glasses from him, and Eridan's eyes narrowed. He forced a deep breath through his nose before unwinding his scarf and handing it over. At least they weren't forcing him into a jumpsuit. 

Without another word, the first officer forced him through the doorway with more oomph than strictly necessary considering he wasn't exactly resisting. 

He was lead (more like dragged, honestly) through a few halls and up an elevator before the officer stopped in front of a cell. There was a piece of printer paper hastily taped up on the door with inmate information listed in a neatly organized list in the times new roman font. On the doors on either side, there were two papers. Eridan could see where this was headed.

"Vantas's been waitin' for a roommate for awhile, you two better get along." The officer huffed, unlatching the door. It creaked when he shoved it open.

Inside, the room was completely barren except for a tall cot shoved in the corner, a messy array of written on notebook sheets across the floor, and a single poster for some chick flick taped up on the wall. 

Those things, and the boy he would be sharing a 'room' with. He started up when the door opened, his eyes wide and scared for a few seconds as he sat up on the large cot, before his eyes seemed to narrow into a show of annoyance.

"Who the fuck is this supposed to be, cocksucker?" He snarled, but Eridan saw how he shrunk further against the wall as he spoke. 'Vantas' was a bit on the small side, all elbows, and overall not an imposing presence.

The officer didn't dignify him with a response, giving Eridan a hard shove that send him stumbling into the room before shutting and locking him in.

Eridan fidgeted awkwardly, shuffling closer to the wall. What was normal here? We're they supposed to talk? Eridan didn't have a cot, so he just. Didn't know where to go.

"Just sit there staring at me like some kind of fucking creep, yeah, how god damn smooth. A real fucking player. How the fuck'd you end up here, asswipe? You don't have jack diddly shit resembling any fucking balls."

Eridan didn't give him an answer, trying to play himself off as not on the brink of a panic attack. The sound of the air conditioner was painful to him, the artificial lights too bright, signs he was bordering on overwhelmed. He crossed his arms and leaned on the wall, opting to introduce himself instead of answering.

"M'name's Eridan, thanks for the warm welcome. Really makes me feel all warm n fuzzy." His lip twitched.

Something inscrutable warped Vantas's features, before he heaved himself up off the cot, "That's the dumbest fucking name I've heard since Gamzee wandered his wasted ass in this shithole. The guards call me by my last name, but you can call me Cancer," The boy huffed in dry laughter, "Accurately describes our effect on society."

"After the horoscope, I guess?" Eridan nodded to the grey sign swirled on Cancer's sweater, "I'm an Aquarius. Don't, ah," Eridan shifted, "Don't call me that though."

"Why the fuck would I do that? I don't want to lose any more brain cells than I already have." He shoved his cot, and Eridan was confused for a second before the top half of it easily slipped to the floor, "You can have your fucking bed, by the way. Not like it even helped."

Eridan grabbed the corner of the stiff mat and heaved it to the other corner of the room with a thankful nod.

He sat down. It was barely better than the hard tile of the floor. He leaned back and stretched before resting against the wall. His eyes caught on the poster hanging on his walls, and he chuckled in a poor excuse for a laugh.

"The fuck's behind there? Don't tell me it's a tunnel out of here dug wi' god damn plastic silva'ware. I ain't ready to get that cliche, I'll be honest."

That pried a chuckle from him.

"Yeah, I wish. They count the spoons. We don't even fucking get knives, and don't get me started for the anal excretions they try to pass for food here. Yesterday's sent Tavros to the infirmary."

Eridan snorted. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, if he was bunked with Cancer. "Thanks for the heads up. Guess I'll just starve, then."

"If you think you're the only one around here fucking starving you have another thing coming once you meet Gamzee." He smiled, but it was tired.

They talked for hours: nonsense banter, things neither of them would much remember. Things like Cancer's friends, Eridan's ex ones, until finally they settled into a comfortable conversation about bad movies. The fluorescent light never wavered, bright and artificial no matter how long they talked. Eridan wasn't sure how much time had slipped by when the door swung open.

"Free time," The guard that opened the door grunted, "Vantas, show greenhorn here around the courtyard."


	2. Chapter 2

Cancer was fidgety. That, Eridan noticed right away. The shorter boy had something on his mind. 

  "Somethin' wrong, Can?"

    "If there was, you know I wouldn't tell you, right? You're practically a fucking stranger."

   "Aw, I thought we had somethin'," Eridan nudged him playfully, but Cancer just crossed his arms. 

    Another kid intercepted them in the hall. He was lanky and easily a year or two older than them, with a gnarled mess of black hair that seemed almost deflated in the way it hung around his face.

   "What's up, my miraculous mothafuckin brother," His words were drawled like he wasn't fully awake. His slumped posture and far looking eyes helped the impression, "You up and finally got you a mothafuckin buddy, bro? Straight mirthful shit, the messiahs are smilin' on ya. Makes a kid wanna cry."

   "I take it you're the infamous Gamzee I've heard so much about," Eridan paused for a second too long before extending a hand, "I'm Eridan Ampora."

    Gamzee cocked an eyebrow at him, before turning the offered handshake into an extremely awkward embrace. Eridan went stiff and tried to edge out of the hug, feeling his face redden as Cancer cackled.

  "Damn, if that ain't a straight mothafuckin miracle then color me atheistic." 

     Eridan managed to squirm out of the hug when Cancer distracted the older inmate.

    "It's been fucking forever, Gamzee. I thought I'd die of old age before they let you out of solitary. Crazy cunt," he growled, but it was in the playful way Eridan was getting used to hearing from him. "If you pull that shit again I'll shove my foot so far up your ass you'll taste my shoe on the back of your teeth for the rest of your miserable excuse for an existence. Now come on, you know we can't stay in the hall and I have to show mister McWiseass here the ropes."

   "Ain't nothin to worry about bro," Gamzee wrapped a long arm around Karkat, who promptly shoved him off with a laughed 'fuck off!'

    Eridan couldn't help but see Gamzee's wrist as he backed off with a drowsy laugh. It wasn't like he meant to- he just did:

  _Jane_  
_32 ___

As they walked, Eridan casually asked, "Do you know her?"

    He could almost see the gears in Gamzee's head turning before he glanced down at his wrist, almost like he forgot about it. 

    "Aw nah, Eribro, Ain't never met the bitch." He shrugged apathetically. "Probably never will. Messiahs done blessed me with a mirthful motherfuckin 'nother to get all my sweet macks up on. Tav's a true tried miraculous mothafucker better than no Jane." 

   People dating people outside of their soulmate wasn't entirely uncommon, but he'd never heard of someone so blatantly in denial. Usually people dating 'out of mark' were under a sort of mutual pretense that once they found their better matches they'd move on. When he had his fling with Feferi (he winced: she probably hated him) they both knew it wasn't going to last long. 

__Then again, the 'Tavros' Cancer told him about was a guy. Maybe it was a 'pals before gals' kind of thing.  
    
       Cancer cut him off before he could ask Gamzee more personal questions. 

   "We're here, assholes. Gamzee, go fucking kiss your boyfriend or whatever, he's been fucking worried sick. Literally." He waved a dismissive hand to Gamzee, who promptly sauntered off without so much as a goodbye. 

   The yard was about the size of a football field (near as wide as well), with a few paved volleyball courts towards the end where boys batted around those weird foam dodgeballs elementary school uses instead of volleyballs. The area closer to the doorway they came out of was all yellowed grass with a few benches nailed down along the walls. A few boys around their age were throwing around a football in the grass, but Cancer ignored them in favour of marching directly towards a small group of boys and a girl settled down in the grass against the wall. Among others their own age, it struck him how soft Cancer was in his features. 

  "Eridan, meet the sick fucks I have the misfortune of calling the closest thing I have to friends. You fuckers, meet Eridan." Cancer gestured to the ragtag group. 

__"Sup man."_ _

__"A pleasure to make your acquaintance."_ _

__"Eridan, huh? Hey, isn't that-"_ _

__"The dumbest fucking name you've ever heard? Yeah, it is. Just as fucking dumb as yours is generic, John. Thanks for the input." Cancer shot him daggers._ _

__John threw up his hands defensively, "Yeah, thanks, you're too nice to me. Anyway, Eridan! Welcome to our humble corner of the yard. Make yourself at home in our pile of moldy grass." He chortled. "I'd tell you it's good to see a new face, but it's not. It's just kinda sad, you know? Not much to be done though. What'd you do?"_ _

__Eridan caved under the boy's genuine look of curiosity._ _

__"Assault. It's a long story."_ _

__"Not like, sexual though, right?"_ _

__Eridan stared at him for a moment, "What the fuck, do they send people like that here? That's fucking sickening."_ _

__John breathed a sigh of relief, "So that's a no. I dunno what we'd do if our buddy here was stuck with some creep."_ _

__Eridan and Cancer settled into the grass. Cancer sat with his legs crossed and his shoulders slumped tiredly. "Dave, the fuck happened to your eye? Looks like you got whaled on by a dolphin's big salty cock."_ _

__"Yeah, just whipped me right across the face with his fat schlong. Dolphins, am I right? You know they're a bunch of rapists. They're like... the Hollywood of marine life. A pack of pathological assholes with a perpetual hard on that people just. Can't get enough of."_ _

__"So, you asked me what I did, now it's your turn." Eridan tuned out of their conversation and instead turned back to John._ _

__"Oh." John paused. "Um, I took the fall for manslaughter." He wheezed. "The crazy shit you do for soulmates, am I right?"_ _

__"Not your brightest moment, I'm afraid," The girl beside him sighed. Her voice was deeper than Eridan expected, and now that he was closer to her she almost looked male. No breasts, no hips. He leaned against the wall next to her._ _

__She must have caught him looking, because she started talking._ _

__She smiled, a small thing that didn't quite reach her eyes, "I'm Rose Lalonde, also known as this institution's resident female."_ _

__"Go figure. Must be fuckin nice to have so many guys around. I would kill a bitch to get in'tah the gals' facility." He leaned back against the wall next to her.  
    
    Rose scrunched her nose, "Oh dear, no. There are several things amiss with that sentiment. I'm a lesbian, and you give me the impression of a boy that would appreciate the company of a nice strong gentleman. Or did you not know you don't need to pretend around us?" 

__"Pretend?" His voice squeaked, "I had a _girlfriend_ back home." _ _

__Eridan straightened his posture as his lip curled up in insult. Rose blinked, her eyes widening slowly as she took in her misstep, "I'm sorry, I just assumed, since... "She blinked again, clearing her thoughts. Her expression turned to a small frown. "You just get along with everyone so well I thought- particularly Ka- _Vantas_. Hm." _ _

__Something in Cancer's expression shifted, and he realized his conversation with Dave had dropped off and he had been listening._ _

__"...Oh. Yeah, okay, yeah." He shook his head before abruptly standing up, "Come on dickass." he grabbed Eridan's arm, "The guards'll string up my small intestines like fucking Christmas decorations if I don't properly show you around."_ _

__Eridan stood, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. What happened? Other than Rose's little misunderstanding he was getting along surprisingly well with Cancer's friends._ _

__But now Cancer was... upset, maybe? He could see something in his taut face, his dark eyes, even in the way his steps snagged every now and again._ _

__"The fuck, Can?" His lip twitched once the others were out of earshot._ _

__"I'd just had enough of that fucking train wreck of human interaction. You really don't know how to talk to people, do you?" Cancer rolled his eyes. "What are you, ten?"_ _

__"Fourteen, actually," Eridan crossed his arms, "And I am extremely socially adept for your information."_ _

__Cancer snorted at that. "If you were, you wouldn't have to say it. Anyway." He took a deep breath before turning on his heel and spanning his arms out in a weak gesture. Eridan found it hard not to roll his eyes at the unenthused way he strung himself out. It was like he was deadass ready to be a living clothes line. "This," He waggled his arms, "Is... well, I don't know if it actually has a name. But for the sake of this presentation we'll call it 'the piece of dying grass where people without two braincells to rub together go to play recreational sports'."_ _

__They were right in the way of said folk, but Vantas really didn't seem to care._ _

__"Are they _actually_ gonna care if you show me around?" Eridan ducked a stray ball and watched it bounce once on the ground before a stocky boy scooped it up._ _

__"Honestly? Absolutely not."_ _

__"Then why are ya?"_ _

__Cancer opened his mouth to answer, but right as 'I' came out of his mouth something brown and hard looking crashed into his face and he was made to eat both his words and the leather of a football. He hit the dirt like a wet bag of cat food._ _

__"Shitlicking- FUCK!"_ _

__Vantas grit his teeth and wiped blood off his face ( _'A busted nose'_ Eridan realized belatedly) and rocked forward to sit up. _ _

__Eridan crouched down to help him _('He looks like Sollux')_ but he smacked his hand away. "Fuck off Eridan, I don't need your help."_ _

__Instead, he curled his hand into a fist and shoved himself to his feet. He staggered over a dip in the turf. "Which one of you incontinent cunts threw that?"_ _

__The boys who had been playing had stopped by now, staring _('Like they did before')_ , and that didn't change when Vantas spoke up. _ _

__"Apparently you weren't fucking listening. I _said_ , which one of you miserable cucks just _fucking_ hit me?" Something in Cancer's voice set Eridan on edge._ _

__"Okay, that's enough." He grabbed his wrist, wrapping his fingers tightly around the cuff of his sweater. "Let's go."_ _

__One of them laughed._ _

__Something beneath Eridan's skin buzzed under the eyes of so many people. It was the same kind of adrenaline that landed him in here, but all he could think of this time was _'Run, you fuckin idiot!'__ _

__But Cancer, apparently, was feeling the opposite way and reacted to the grab with a shove hard enough to send him sprawling backwards._ _

__"Get the fuck away from me."_ _

__Eridan spat, but stayed down._ _

__The boy that scooped up the ball earlier finally stepped forward. He had long unkempt dark hair that clung to his face and the upper part of his neck and he had a crooked nose. His skin was tan and was losing its fight against acne.  
He easily had an inch on Eridan and even more on Vantas. _ _

__"It was me. Now, I want any trouble-"_ _

__"Oh shove a dick up your ass. I know you did it on purpose."_ _

__"Watch the profanity." The sweat slicked boy grimaced, and Eridan grimaced right back at the sight of dark knocked out gaps between his teeth._ _

__"Go fuck youself with a rusty chainsaw."_ _

__"I'd listen to Equius if I were you." Another player piped in. He had similarly uncut hair swept back into a ponytail and a condescending lilt to his voice. "Not to presume you don't know what you're doing," He smiled crookedly, leaning back on the balls of his shoes," But ignoring him didn't end well for the last kid."_ _

__"Oh yeah, and who was that?" Cancer sneered, "Fatass here's too chicken to own up to chucking a ball at someone. You really expect me to believe he actu-!"_ _

__Equius cut him off with a shove of his own._ _

__Cancer toppled over, unprepared, but he quickly bounced back like a spring. "Oh shit, look, is goliath mad? Somebody get David over here, this just got fucking religious!" Vantas peeled his lip into a sneer, "Watcha gonna do, hit me again? Go ahead, punch me! I fucking dare you."_ _

__("Wath you gonna do, punch me?")_ _

__Eridan was back on his feet before he realized he was. His arms linked underneath Cancer's and he threw his weight backwards. Equius paused as Cancer was suddenly hauled away from him, looking both perplexed and relieved._ _

__"Put me down you fucking isotope!" He squirmed and kicked out, but he was surprisingly lightweight._ _

__But he was still a whole ass teenager._ _

__Eridan shifted his arms to link under his cellmate's chest and tucked his head over his shoulder for better leverage. He huffed in effort. Staggering backwards, he managed to hold onto the screaming ball of elbows and pubescent rage until his back thumped into the wall and he jolted in surprise._ _

__Vantas shoved free, stumbling before wheeling on him._ _

__Eridan squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for the coming onslaught. But instead, he heard a deep, dragging breath and a long pause._ _

__"...Thanks, I guess." Another pause. "Equius would've fucking pulverized me. I get carried away." His voice was dripping in discomfort and all it did was make Eridan feel awkward._ _

__Before he could choke out a confused noise a bell rang._ _

__"Well, that's the sign to go. So. Let's fucking go, because this entire free period was the most embarrassing rollercoaster I've had here and I'd like to forget this happened."_ _

__Cancer stormed off without even waiting for him, and it took Eridan a moment to catch his breath before jogging to catch up. Questions swirled in his head, but he ignored them in favour of bolting past Cancer and calling out a cheeky "Race you to the door!"_ _

__"Wh- you piece of shit, you had a head start!" He wailed behind him, but he didn't break stride and instead burst out laughing._ _

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End file.
